Headsets without wires

Bluetooth options for your smartphone

by DAVID ELKINS  October 2016

The headphone jack is gone from the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. The only way you can use the new devices is with wireless earbuds or an extra connector. Apple is clearly setting a new standard for all cell phones. Expect to see the rest of the cell phone pack to follow. A host of new wireless devices are on the market with more coming on every week.

Before you toss your wired headset into that drawer full of obsolete devices and their myriad of connectors, it’s worth pausing to consider the pluses and minuses of headsets generally.

The wired variety is so ubiquitous, so many people wear them, so much of the time they can almost be considered a fashion accessory. The technology took a leap forward around the time the iPhone 4 was launched. The sound quality of the earbuds was good enough to listen to your favourite music without having to wince. Apple headsets have come a long way, but the sound they reproduce is still not as good as that of many other headsets.

Also, the connected microphones worked well enough to use them even on sensitive calls. These days you can’t tell if passersby are listening to Drake or Debussy or getting lab results on their latest urine test.

And the wires do dangle. They get caught in hair and clothing and they tangle, oh how they can tangle! So doubtless Apple is on the right track going wireless as they have been with many previous innovations.

With technological upgrades, there’s usually a downside. Bluetooth headsets whether in-ear or over-ear do not deliver quite the same sound quality as their wired counterparts. The difference is small particularly in higher quality devices, but here’s the real zinger: Bluetooth sets have to be charged to operate, some of them overnight, every night. An insufficient remaining charge would be a major annoyance if they cut out when you’re on an important call.

Pairing to most devices and to Apple products with IOS is straightforward, except, possibly, to the iPhone 7 which has a new chip that makes it very easy to connect to Apple devices, but more difficult for non-Apple products to connect (Apple says they’re working on a solution.)

Choosing a wireless headset that’s right for you is highly personal. For all their benefits, they can also be finicky and prone to wear out. Most earbuds are intended to be used during exercise and by far the majority of the hundreds on the market are in-ear. Prices range from about $15 to well into the hundreds. Here are three with decent reviews — price does not always mean better when it comes to wireless headphones.